“Yo…” Chen Junnan immediately became vigilant. “I was wondering who it was… why is it you two again?”
Yan Zhichun took the lead and stepped into the “riverbed,” leaving Zhang Shan behind as she softly said, “After all, I’m part of the ‘Invasion’ squad, and our mission isn’t finished yet. I have to go back and keep fighting.”
“Yo, then I won’t keep you company,” Chen Junnan said. “I’m also part of the ‘Invasion’ squad, and I’m heading over to your side. Let’s each invade our own territories and ignore each other, how about that?”
“I don’t care,” Yan Zhichun replied. “I wasn’t close with them to begin with. Feel free to trick, kill, or attack whoever you want.”
“Perfect,” Chen Junnan said. “Then let’s swap places. What about you, big guy in the back?”
“Sorry,” Zhang Shan said. “I still have some loyalty to Chu Tianqiu and Kim Won-hoon. If you want to cause trouble here, you’ll have to get past me first.”
“Come on, how can you say that?” Chen Junnan said. “To be honest, I might seem like a slacker, but my real identity is freaking Xu Liunian.”
Qiao Jiajin froze, staring blankly at Chen Junnan.
“Chu Tianqiu said we can’t trust any Xu Liunian from now on,” Zhang Shan responded. “So you’re not getting through.”
“Fine, then I’ll just be Chen Junnan again,” Chen Junnan said with a smirk. “If I’m Chen Junnan, can you trust me now?”
Zhang Shan didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on Qiao Jiajin. His massive frame nearly filled the entire doorway, yet he still hadn’t stepped out.
“If you’re Chen Junnan… I can barely trust you for now,” Zhang Shan said after a few seconds.
“Great. Since you trust me, let me tell you—I’m actually Xu Liunian.”
“…?”
Zhang Shan and Yan Zhichun’s faces went completely blank for a moment.
“Damn, Handsome, is this what you call ‘piercing the heart’?” Qiao Jiajin asked with a laugh.
“This is just the beginning,” Chen Junnan chuckled. “I haven’t even started trying yet.”
“You’re too dangerous,” Zhang Shan said. “If I let you through, this side won’t know peace.”
“So what’s your move?” Chen Junnan asked. “Why don’t you step out, big guy? The ‘riverbed’ is plenty wide—come out and talk.”
Qiao Jiajin already knew why.
Once Zhang Shan officially stepped into the “riverbed,” the two of them would have to settle things here and now.
But the opposing team clearly wasn’t reliable, and Zhang Shan seemed to be their only stable “guardian.”
If their “guardian” couldn’t protect their territory and instead got tied up fighting in the “riverbed,” it would be disastrous for them.
Yet Qiao Jiajin also understood—the worse the situation was for the enemy, the more he needed to lure them into this trap.
“Big guy,” Qiao Jiajin said. “Didn’t we agree that if we met in the ‘riverbed,’ we’d fight immediately? What’s the deal now? Pretending we didn’t ‘meet’ even though we clearly did?”
Zhang Shan silently stared at Qiao Jiajin, his expression grim.
“Are you surrendering?” Qiao Jiajin pressed. “Or are we just throwing our agreement out the window?”
Seeing Zhang Shan hesitate, Qiao Jiajin took a step forward, pulling a chain and a “character” from his pocket and letting them dangle plainly in front of the other man.
“Mutual.”
“I’ve shown you all my sincerity,” Qiao Jiajin continued. “I’ve stood here this whole time and even revealed my ‘character.’ If you still refuse to face me, then I don’t have to honor any agreement either.”
Watching the “mutual” character spin at the end of Qiao Jiajin’s chain, Zhang Shan glanced back at his own team.
There weren’t many people he could trust in this squad—Chu Tianqiu was one, Kim Won-hoon was another.
If he got tied up here and the enemy launched a full-scale “invasion,” the two behind him would be in danger.
But with things already at this point, was there any way to avoid a fight?
If he didn’t restrain this tattooed man in front of him, his own team would still be at risk.
This was the hardest choice before him.
“I was a soldier,” Zhang Shan said. “Even after all these years, there are four words I’ve never forgotten: ‘Never back down.'”
With that, he slowly lowered his head, his towering frame clearing the doorway as he stepped into the “riverbed.”
At that moment, Qiao Jiajin’s expression darkened as well, and he slowly removed his shirt, tossing it onto the ground beside him.
“Oh…?” Zhang Shan studied Qiao Jiajin’s upper body for a moment. “Strange. You’re skinnier than I imagined.”
“That’s a long story,” Qiao Jiajin said. “The tattoos are still there, but my body’s been reshaped.”
“Doesn’t that mean I’m bullying you?” Zhang Shan also took off his shirt, revealing a physique far more massive and muscular than Qiao Jiajin’s.
“I’ve gotten used to this body over the past few days,” Qiao Jiajin said. “So it’s not like I’m bullying you either.”
The auras around the two men began to spread, making both Chen Junnan and Yan Zhichun feel uneasy.
“In that case… I’ll be on my way,” Chen Junnan whispered to Qiao Jiajin. “Be careful.”
“Don’t worry,” Qiao Jiajin said, rolling his neck again, his eyes deadly serious.
Chen Junnan had seen this look before—when Qiao Jiajin fought, he became a different person.
Yan Zhichun, hearing this, also glanced at Zhang Shan. The two exchanged a look and nodded.
She and Chen Junnan brushed past each other without a word, each stepping into the other’s territory.
For Zhang Shan now, holding Qiao Jiajin off was the only thing he could do.
Looking at the man’s focused expression, Zhang Shan’s mind was suddenly filled with noise.
Both of them had followed capable leaders in their climb upward, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that Chu Tianqiu was far more dangerous than Qi Xia.
He wasn’t sure if Chu Tianqiu truly valued his loyalty or if he could really become this place’s “ruler” as he claimed.
But since fate had placed him on Chu Tianqiu’s side, he had no choice but to win every battle he faced.
With that thought, he stretched his arms and loosened up.
A one-on-one fight with Qiao Jiajin, free of interference, was a rare opportunity. This wasn’t just any ordinary brawl—the slightest misstep could lead to total defeat.
“Big guy…” Qiao Jiajin twisted his waist slightly and murmured, “We’ve both seen each other’s ‘Echoes.’ Activating them at the same time or not makes no difference, right?”
“Right,” Zhang Shan nodded.
“Then I won’t worry about ‘Echoes,'” Qiao Jiajin said. “Let’s just settle this here and now.”
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